PR Prose: 8 tips for making moral judgments in public relations

Posted December 8, 2017By Dr. Shannon Bowen, professor in the public relations sequenceReprinted with permission from PRWeek

Moral judgment means a discernment of ethics based on character and integrity, with
analytical and objective perspective, determining ethics by logic and reason. Exercising
moral judgment takes rationality, years of practice, cool deliberation, and an ability
to weigh moral values from a multiplicity of angles.

Moral judgment is a virtue. It has been admired by countless ancient philosophers,
from Greek and Roman antiquity, and still inspires reams of scholarship today. But
how does one get there? In a field such as public relations, fraught with conflicting
loyalties and problematic issues to solve on a daily basis, it is no small task. Our
power is often unseen, based on influence, defining issues, advocacy, molding public
policy, and determining relevance for news media. Public relations holds ethical responsibility
and power and often operates behind the scenes as an influencer or for influencers.
A high level of moral judgment is demanded in public relations from the first day
on the job. But how do we go about actually creating moral judgment? Scholars agree
that it must be practiced over the years and incorporated into the very personality
of an individual. Here are some practice points to enhance the moral judgment of public
relations practitioners:

Never rush to a decisionTake time to reflect and analyze options thoroughly, gathering data and augmenting
your own perception with opinions and facts from numerous sources.

Be analyticalUse objectivity, detachment, and reason to sort through facts, weighing options on
their merit and logic alone. Analytical reason avoids capriciousness and creates consistency.

Think through consequencesConsider all options and potential outcomes, not just those for clients or management.
What about other stakeholders, media members, competitors, advocates, and so on?

Strive to empower othersGathering perspectives from multiple stakeholders, including those external to the
organization or client, can create a broader perspective on moral dilemmas. Ask others
to contribute to the solution, weighing input analytically.

Question your intentionMake sure you are attempting to always act with character and integrity rather than
taking the easy way out or doing only what would benefit only a client.

Use servant leadershipDo not seek power or authority for its own sake. Ask yourself how you can model ethical
behavior and enhance the autonomy and moral judgment ability of others.

Consciously practiceMoral judgment is not learned overnight. It requires effort, study, reflection, and
a critical analysis of one’s decision making. It is not easy but worth the effort.
Aristotle argued, "Virtuous actions express correct (right) reason. They are acquired
through practice and habituation. One becomes virtuous by acting virtuously.

There are numerous benefits to exercising moral judgment, in addition to the numerous
ones of avoiding crises and lawsuits. Having a public relations career based on moral
judgment builds your professional credibility. After practice, you develop a sense
of what is important to you and a solid foundation for facing ethical challenges.
It also strengthens the values within you and your ability to apply them to complex
situations, developing a moral compass within you.

The ability of moral judgment can be extremely valuable at times of crisis or conflict
by offering discernment or wise counsel to management or clients. Experts in moral
development also say that living a life using moral judgment yields benefits in terms
of trust, advancement, optimism, consistency, self-esteem, and high levels of individual
autonomy or self-efficacy.

By using moral judgment, PR pros can help all of public relations gain credibility
and respect as a true profession based on ethics. Next time some ethically undereducated
soul says, "You’re being judgmental," the appropriate response is, "Thanks, I work
hard to be!"

Dr. Shannon Bowen

Shannon Bowen, Ph.D., researches and teaches PR ethics at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications
at the University of South Carolina.

She is a member of the board of trustees of the Arthur W. Page Society and the board
of directors at the International Public Relations Research Conference.

She writes a regular column for PRWeek, which focuses on PR education, ethics, and
the C-suite.